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| Almost every Christian will at some point doubt his or her
salvation. This is not unusual! You may have though that you were
alone in this struggle with uncertainty, but rest assured it is a
struggle almost every Christian has faced.
So, how do you deal with these doubts? How do you overcome these uncertainties? The purpose of this lesson is to answer these questions and set your mind and heart at rest. First you must answer this question: Did I do what the Bible told me to do to obtain my salvation? Can I go back to a specific day that I gave my life to Christ, or have I always "felt" saved? Every born-again believer needs a spiritual birthday -- a time he can say "This is the day I was saved!" (You may not know the day of the month, or even the month of the year, but you remember the "time.") Here is what you need to ask yourself in regard to that "birthday:"
Monday How Can I Know for Sure? There are times when you may not "feel" saved. You must understand that your salvation does not depend on your "feelings." In fact, it does not depend on you at all! Once you were "born again," your salvation was taken out of your hands and placed into God's hands. God has complete charge over it. "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." John 10:28,29 You have his word on it If the Bible is the infallible (without error) Word of God, and it is, then you can rest comfortably in its promises. God did not lie to you when He promised to keep you! "Beloved, _________ are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we _______ that, when he shall appear, we _______ be like him; for we shall see him as he is." 1 John 3:2 Who will you believe, your feelings or God? In the following Scriptures, note the key words (circle them) that assure you of what God said and has already done. John 5:24 Verily, Verily, I say unto ________, He that ____________ my word, and ___________ on him that sent me, ____________ everlasting life, and shall _________ come into ______________; but ______ passed from __________ unto ___________. 1 Peter 1:5 Who are ________ by the ________ of God through __________ unto _____________ ready to be revealed in the ________ time. John 6:47 Verily, Verily, I say unto ______, He that _________ on me __________ everlasting __________. QUESTIONS:
You Are Sealed by the Holy Spirit In times past, a "seal" was placed on a letter or cargo being shipped by melting a piece of wax on the seam that opened the letter or box. The signet ring of the owner, or a stamp used for that purpose, was then used to impress a recognizable design into this wax. If this wax seal was broken upon arrival, the receiver would know that the contents had been tampered with. This seal not only prevented tampering with the goods inside but also proved ownership, and authenticated the contents. To assure you that no one can "tamper" with what belongs to God, He "sealed" you with His Holy Spirit. By this sealing, the Holy Spirit has insured that NO ONE can "tamper" with what belongs to the Father! The Devil would like nothing better than to destroy what belongs to God. However, God insured that this would never happen when he gave us his Spirit. Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also ____________, after that ye heard the word of _________, the gospel of your _____________: in whom also after that ye ___________, ye were _____________ with that _____________ ________ of ________________. 2 Corinthians 1:22 Who hath also _______ us, and given the _______ of the ________ in our __________. QUESTIONS:
Wednesday His Spirit Testifies to Your Spirit God's word is sure and steadfast, and in it he has promised to keep us safe in him. He gave us his Spirit to "seal" us and thereby guarantee this promise. Using his word, God also testifies to us (speaks to us) by his Spirit and lets us KNOW that we are his children. Salvation is not a far-off event that we hope we will achieve someday. It is a present possession made possible through the blood of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit, God, testifies to this fact. In fact, he alone, by the use of the Word, makes it possible for us to know that we ARE sons and daughters of God. Roman 8:16 The _________ itself beareth _____________ with our ___________, that we _________ the children of God. 1 John 5:10 He that _____________ on the Son of God __________ the witness ______ himself: he that believeth _____________ God hath made him a ________; because he _____________ not the __________ that God gave of his Son. 10:14-15 For by __________ offering he hath perfected _________ ___________ them that are ____________. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a __________ to ________: for after that he had said before, Questions:
Understanding the New Birth Once a child is physically born into this world, there is nothing he or she can do to be "unborn." It is a physical impossibility to become "unborn." It is an event that took place in time and nothing can change that event. However, when questioned about the "new birth," many believe they can be "unborn" spiritually! When you were saved, your spirit was quite literally "born again," and there is nothing you or anyone else can do to make you "unborn." It is an event that takes place in time! For you to be certain of your security in Christ, it is imperative that you understand this point. There is no sin, deed, or act that can make your spirit "unborn." The new birth is executed and achieved by the Spirit of God, not through your efforts. Your part in salvation is believing -- God takes care of all the rest. A child of God is born of the "seed" of God. God's Spirit quickens (makes alive) our old, dead spirit. Then the Holy Spirit of God remains IN us, and we cannot commit sin in our new spirit. We cannot sin in our Spirit because it is of God, and what is of God cannot sin. At the point of the new birth, we take on a new nature that lives in the same body with the old nature. One, the New Man, always does right; the other, the Old Man, must always be brought under control. This does not mean we do not sin, because we still have a body that lusts to do wrong, but our NEW SPIRIT does not sin and THAT is what was born again. At the resurrection we will get a NEW BODY, and our entire salvation (body and spirit) will be complete at that time. Romans 8:35, 37-38 Who shall ____________ us from the love of __________? shall ________________, or distress, or __________________, or famine, or nakedness, or _____________, or sword? (37) _________, in ________ these things we are ___________ than conquerors _____________ him that loved us. For I am ___________________, that __________________ death, ______ life, ________ angels, ___________ principalities, ________ powers, __________ things present, __________ things to come. __________ height, ________ depth, __________ __________ __________ creature, shall be able to __________ us from the love of God, which is _______ Christ Jesus our Lord. 1 John 5:18 We __________ that whosoever is ________ of God _________ not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that ___________ one __________ him not. 1 John 3:9 ___________ is born of God doth ____________ commit sin; for his __________ remaineth in him: and he __________ sin, ______________ he is born of God. Questions:
Some Points to Ponder There are some logical questions that you should ask yourself and see how they stack up against the Word of God. 1. What sin can make me lost again? -- If lying can make you lose your salvation, Abraham lied. -- If murder can make you lose your salvation, David committed murder. -- If denying the Lord can make you lose your salvation, Peter denied the Lord. -- If idol worship can make you lose your salvation, Aaron worshipped idols. -- Since the time you were saved, if you have lied, stolen, cheated, disobeyed God, or ANY other sin, if you could lose your salvation, wouldn't you have already lost it? 2. How do you become unborn? 3. If John 3:16 says you have eternal life, how long is eternal? 4. If we are in God's hands, who can pluck us out? 2 Timothy 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: _____________ I am not _______________: for I _______________ whom I have believed, and am ________________ that _______ is __________ to _________ that which I have ____________ unto him __________ that day. John 3:36 He that ___________ on the Son ___________ everlasting life: and he that believeth ___________ the Son shall __________ see _________; but the _________ of God abideth on him. 1 John 3:14 We _________ that we _________ _________ from death unto __________, because we __________ the brethren. He that ___________ not his brother ___________ in death. questions:
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